The demonstrator of the multi-purpose military helicopter Defiant broke its own previous speed record in direct horizontal flight, reaching a speed of 247 knots (457 kilometers per hour). Sikorsky has posted a corresponding video of a helicopter flight with a jet aircraft on Facebook.
In the commentary to the video, it is reported that in this way Sikorsky and Boeing demonstrated the correctness of the technical solutions used in Defiant, which must meet the requirements of the Future Long-Range Assault Aircraft (FLRAA) program of the United States Army.
In October 2020, the Sikorsky-Boeing SB>1 Defiant> helicopter reached a straight line speed of 211 knots (more than 390 kilometers per hour), and on descent — 232 knots (about 420 kilometers per hour).
In March 2019, the first flight of the SB>1 Defiant demonstrator took place at the airfield in West Palm Beach.
The maximum take-off weight of the helicopter is 14.5 tons. The declared cruising speed of the aircraft should be equal to 460 kilometers per hour. The car can accommodate up to 18 people. SB>1 Defiant is being created by the American companies Sikorsky (part of Lockheed Martin Corporation) and Boeing as part of the FVL project, which involves updating the fleet of American military helicopters after 2030.
Ivan Potapov
